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The Kontinental League has released an amendment to league rules that govern the signing of players currently under contract with NHL teams.

"Our clubs have been granted the opportunity to enter into contracts and place on their main rosters no more than three NHL players, and the previously established limit of 25 players per team may be exceeded by the addition of these players,” said KHL hockey operations vice-president, Vladimir Shalaev in a statement. “For Russian clubs, only one of the three NHL players may be a foreigner (non-Russian), and this player must meet one of the following criteria set down to ensure that only top-level foreign players come to play in the Kontinental Hockey League.”

The criteria are as follows. A foreign player must meet at least one to be eligible.

• Player has played no fewer than 150 NHL games over the past three seasons.
• Player has KHL experience.
• Player represented his country at one of the past two World Championships, World Junior Championships or Olympics.
• Player has won a Stanley Cup, reached the final or won an individual NHL award.

KHL clubs based in countries other than Russia may use all three NHL player roster spots on foreigners and the above criteria is not applicable to those teams.

In the event of an NHL lockout, the maximum number of foreigners allowed on any KHL club will rise from five to six, though only five (one goaltender) will be permitted on a game day roster.

Also, any wages paid to NHLers during the lockout will not count against the KHL club’s salary cap and those wages may not exceed 65 percent of what the player makes on his NHL contract.